Tongue Twister
by JessieRose
Summary: [Finished]He's a mute, sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out...
1. A Fight in the Alley

A/N okay so as far as I am aware no one has written a story about the events leading to Cotton losing his tongue. So here it is!! ^_^ It's not going to be very long, a few chapters maybe!! ^_^ Anyway please review and tell me what you think. Many Thanks. Should I continue?? Yes? No?  
  
Tongue Twister.  
  
Chapter One ~ Fight in the Alley.  
  
Avery Cotton struggled with the collection of coins in his pocket. The bar keep's hand was held out, under his nose, as Cotton's mind hurried to select the payment. It is was a painless transaction, and in silence Cotton picked up his bag and left the inn.  
  
He had been moving round inns for over three months, trying to find a permanent place to stay. He had little money, and could not stay in one place for too long. He had been in this town for over two weeks now, and it was time to move on. He tried to ignore his growing feelings for the bar keep's daughter, Arabella, as he stepped from the pub out onto the cobbled street, clothed already by the evening gloom. Arabella was nothing special, he had met her sort plenty of times before, it was the wedding ring on her finger that made their relationship so different, so exciting The taboo, the forbidding air that surrounded her had been her main attraction. He shook her slinky figure from his head as he strolled towards the docks.  
  
What he really wanted was a place aboard ship, surely there would be plenty of places going for a honest sailor willing to work for his keep? Not quite as many as first expected. For a start, the navy had suffered a major decline due to the increase in pirate ships sailing the Caribbean, also tighter security had been introduced. And not having a proper name, or home Cotton was not top of their 'to employ' list. His rough unshaven face gave him a rugged hardened appearance, coupled with his deep, booming voice, and shifty eyes, he did not have the air of a trusty employee.  
  
Avery Cotton was at the age of thirty very dissatisfied with his life. He had no permanent woman in his life, no children to mould in his image. And not even two shillings to rub together through the biting stormy winds of the Caribbean. He had been born on the night of an enormous storm, and since then his luck seemed to go from bad to worse. It was almost like a bad omen, signifying what his life was to be like. Like his mother, he had neither met nor known his father, and he had no inclination to set eyes on the 'greedy rasping' man. His mother died young of illness, brought on by her lifestyle of drink and fornication.  
  
Avery Cotton had stole his living, and brought himself up on the streets. The cobbled streets providing his bed, the scraps of food thrown out, his meals. And he was certainly none the worse for wear, he was tough, willing, even eager to earn his living. He contained more spirit in his little finger then all the rich snobs had together. And it was this spirit that kept him alive. He lived not on the rum that swished around in his empty stomach, or the girls he shared his bed with, no he lived on his determination. He was tired of being looked down on, judged. . .he just wanted to prove himself. Was that really so wrong?  
  
He sloped around at the docks, watching as the ships came in, unloaded, weighed anchor and left. The urge to join them raged in his bitter heart, and the salt water pulsed through his veins. And then came the big break, a fortunate, or unfortunate however you look at it, opportunity arrived, as Cotton wondered the back alleys after strutting from the pub.  
  
He had just come to a cross lane when a man stepped out in front of him. He held a knife in his gloved hand. He had a harsh face, beaten by the elements, scars ran over his arms, and his shirt was open to reveal a bullet wound. His face was hardened into a cruel, determined grin, as he held the knife, above his head, ready to throw. Without too much work, Cotton deduced he was a pirate.  
  
Avery was about to stand and fight, but the man continued past him, he had already selected his victim. There was a man just ahead of Cotton, and the pirate. He was dressed as a gentleman, but his walk was not refined, and Cotton found himself questioning the fancy frog coat, and neat polished shoes. He didn't know the man, had never seen his face, so he didn't know why he did it, but he did.  
  
"Look out!" He called, as the man lifted the knife, and prepared to throw.  
  
It all happened to quickly for Avery Cotton to follow. But there was a clatter as the knife fell to the ground, shortly followed by the assassin. The 'gentleman' stood watching Avery in amusement, he tucked his pistol back into his coat with a casual smile. Avery felt repelled by the body, he stepped back to avoid the red blood that was slowly covering the cobbles. He had never seen death at so close quarters before.  
  
The gentleman walked over to admire his handy work. "Quite a good shot, if I do say so myself." He said, giving the body a gentle kick with his shoe. "I owe you thanks my friend." He held out a leather gloved hand, and Avery took it.  
  
"And now I am one short of a crew."  
  
"You're a captain?"  
  
"Indeed I am, The Abyss, that is my ship." He neither talked nor sounded like any pirate Avery had ever met. He had heard of this kind, but never met them, 'the gentlemen pirates'. "Don't suppose you'd be interested in taking up the vacant position? I need at least one man I can trust."  
  
Avery felt his ears burn with excitement. At last, a chance to reunite with the ocean. 


	2. The Crew of The Abyss

A/N Thanks for all the reviews, sorry it's taken me a while to post!! ^_^  
  
Chapter two ~ The Crew of The Abyss.  
  
Avery delighted himself as he boarded the pirate's ship. It was large in size, well kept, and powerful. Very powerful. He smiled secretly to himself.  
  
The Captain, a Captain Henry Myers, was a pleasant man, willing to give the lowest of creatures a chance, this much was evident from his crew.  
  
Avery walked amongst the scum of the earth, as he shook hands with the crew he had joined. They were filthy, un-kept animals, rotting flesh, mouldy teeth gleaming in their mouths, limbs missing, eyes staring blindly from their sockets. Their mouldy hands were often in their friends pocket digging around for goodies.  
  
Avery was appalled, and instantly his eyes snapped to his open pocket. He grunted in annoyance. There was one man however who stood out from the rest of the rotting bunch. If you think about the perfect villain, it is someone completely unaffected by emotion. Not a man with super strength, and the ability to move worlds. Nor a woman with cleverness unimaginable. But someone who doesn't feel love, guilt, remorse or hate, compassion, or any other feeling.  
  
Redigus, or Gus for short, was such a man. He glared at Avery, looking him up and down as though trying to work him out. Avery rid his face of feeling, and stared blankly at Gus. He wasn't going to have the pirate intimidating him.  
  
"Ol' Frankie was a mate o' mine." He said, his voice was rasping, and threatening. He fingered a knife in his hands in a menacing way.  
  
"Then I suggest you chose your friends a bit more carefully." Avery replied.  
  
Gus didn't seem to get the joke, he grunted in annoyance. Avery tried to step past them, but they each took a step forward, closing in around him.  
  
"Everything all right?" The Captain appeared, a smile across his face. He was delighted to be setting sail again, after weeks in port repairing the ship. A colourful, and rather attentive parrot was perched on his shoulder. It eyed the crew with suspicion.  
  
The crowd dispersed, leaving Avery a little surprised. He hadn't expected the crew to act like that. But the man, this Frankie, the one who tried to kill the captain, he must have been a villain just like them.  
  
They set sail that night. Avery watched as the port shrunk gradually in size. It was a sad moment really, as he wondered if he would ever see her again.  
  
The crew were rowdy, and dissatisfied with everything, on the first night they complained about the rations, and the rats.  
  
It appeared the Abyss had a rat problem. Every ship has rats, but not as many as the Abyss. It seemed over run with the brown vermin. The men took to shooting them, but the Captain went mad, he said it was wasting ammunition, and blowing holes in his ship.  
  
And apparently the rations were too small, and the men were hungry. But Avery was happy with his start on the ship, the rats didn't bother him, and he had more then enough food. The only thing that bothered him was the over exhurbrant crew, Frankie's death seemed to have riled them, and they complained about everything.  
  
"Call themselves men." The Captain mumbled.  
  
Avery laughed. "It seems they be determined to find fault."  
  
"They'll find none on The Abyss." The Captain said, clutching the wheel.  
  
"I don't think much o' your first mate." Avery said. The Captain smiled. "Radigus is 'armless. He's all mouth, talks a lot, but never does, that's his problem."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Positive." He swung the wheel slightly starboard, and snapped his compass shut. "Think I'll retire for the night."  
  
Sparks, one of the quieter men, took over at the wheel, as the Captain left for the night. Avery stood staring out to sea. It was a strange sensation to be back on the bobbing waves. He stood there for a long time, before going to his cabin. Cabin five, he shared with three other men. He was thankful that Gus was not in his cabin, as he settled into his bunk. He had got off to a bad start with the first mate, well tomorrow he could always sort that out, if he wanted to. If he got a full apology for the tare away crew member. However he doubted it. Oh well, Radigus was just one man. What can one man do? And with that his eyes closed and he fell asleep.  
  
But he was very much mistaken, very much indeed. Radigus may only be one man, but he represented the crew, they were willing to follow his, he was their leader. And in such cases one man can be a big threat. 


	3. Eavesdropping

A/N Thanks for the reviews so far. Here's the next chapter. . . ^_^  
  
Chapter Three ~ Eavesdropping.  
  
The next morning Avery awoke early, he lay in his bunk, just enjoying the gentle rocking motion of the ship as it sailed the waves. He closed his eyes, ready to go back to sleep, when the murmur of voices forced him to listen. He wasn't normally one for listening to private conversations, but he did not trust the crew of The Abyss. And dropping some eaves did not seem so wrong.  
  
So he lifted his head slightly from the pillow, to free both ears. He ignored the creaking and cracking of the ship's timber, and tried to block out the sound of the scrabbling rats. He concentrated on the undertone voices he could hear.  
  
"The Abyss should have been mine." The first voice was easily recognisable as Radigus's.  
  
He imagined the other was nodding.  
  
Radigus continued. "He only got it by chance, he did? Snatched it right from my hands, he did?" He told his listeners. "And now it's time to get it back. Frankie were gonna stop this voyage from ever takin' place. He were gonna get rid o' the ol' Captain before we even left shore."  
  
"That would a been better."  
  
"'Xactly, no one could o' questioned the ship as being rightfully mine." Radigus sighed. "But then Cotton messed it up for us."  
  
Avery shuddered. Radigus had said his name with such venom and hatred, it was enough to make the bravest of men quiver with fear.  
  
"Ah, Cotton know where his loyalties lie." One of the men replied. "He'll stick wit' the crew."  
  
"I won't take the chance." Radigus said, quietly.  
  
Avery shifted uncomfortably. He desperately wanted to get away, but the next few words stopped him dead.  
  
"We strike tomorrow. Get all the loyals together." Gus continued. Footsteps were the next sound to reach his ears, the men had gone up on deck. He lay his head back on his pillow, and shut his eyes. But sleep did not come that night.  
  
The next morning, they were far out to sea. Avery had a headache from the rum, and he couldn't be completely sure about what he had heard the previous night. He may have imagined it. He decided he would watch Gus closely, rather then go to the Captain with half a story.  
  
But Gus seemed normal, or as normal as he could possibly be. He poured over a map, tracing their progress with his finger. "We need to be headin' North East." He muttered, almost to himself.  
  
The Captain grabbed the map from him. He titled it slight, and his parrot squawked loudly. "East, I'd say."  
  
"Nah, Cap'n, with all due respect we need to be goin' North."  
  
He handed the map to Avery, and took control of the wheel. "Well, I say East, so East we shall go."  
  
Gus strutted off, looking daggers at both the Captain and Avery.  
  
"I wouldn't 'ave a man like that on my ship." Avery remarked.  
  
The Captain chuckled. "Ah, you would be making a mistake there." He leaned closer to Mr Cotton. "Yer see Cotton, I keep my friends close, and my enemies even closer." He said, with a snarled whisper. He grinned.  
  
Avery went off to help scrub the decks, his attention however was claimed by the big cannons that took up the deck. He stopped and knelt beside it. He was so interested in them, he didn't hear the footsteps approaching.  
  
"She's a big un, ain't she?"  
  
Avery looked up to see Gus's grinning face.  
  
"Look Cotton I know you heard us last night." He said. "An' I'm offerin' you the chance to join us."  
  
"Join yer?" Avery choked.  
  
Gus nodded. "Aye. We donna need tha' Cap'n."  
  
"Why 'cause he's takin' us East?" Avery asked, with a smirk.  
  
Gus looked about to hit him, but he thought better of it. "Not 'cause o' tha'." He snarled. "He be takin' us the wrong way, he won't share no booty wit' us. He'll get us killed. He be going to pick a fight wit' Dominic Raymond."  
  
At the time Dirty Dom, was the most powerful pirate sailing the seas. He had a massive fleet at his command, and out of every five ships you saw, one would be flying his colours from the flagpole. When he attacked, he left no one alive. He betrayed even his most loyal followers. He was not a pirate to be messed with.  
  
"If that be where Cap'n takes us, tha's where we go." Avery replied, pushing him self up. His hand rested on the cold metal of the cannon, as he turned to face Gus.  
  
"Then ye die." He said, showing his rotting teeth in a twisted grin. Gus moved his foot, as a rat scuttled past them. "He even let's us share cabins wit' the vermin."  
  
Avery looked down.  
  
"I'm offerin' yer a chance to live." Gus said. "Yer a fool if yer donna take it." He drew his sword.  
  
There was no point getting into a fight with Gus, Avery didn't have a sword with him anyway. Gus looked experience, and probably was the better swordsman. Besides getting himself killed wasn't going to help the Captain.  
  
"Dirty Dom?" He asked.  
  
Gus nodded. He extended his hand.  
  
"What happens if I join you?"  
  
"We take ov'r the ship, we kill the Cap'n, we pillage and plunder an' keep the booty." Gus shrugged. "We donna upset Dominic Raymond."  
  
Avery Cotton took his hand, and they shook.  
  
"Good." Gus said. "We act tonight."  
  
"Tonight?"  
  
"The sooner the better." 


	4. Of Mutiny and Maps

__

A/N Okay, I know I haven't updated for a while, so I thought, I'd get it finished. This is the last chapter of the story. Yes, I know it was a short story, it was supposed to be. Definitely not my best! But at least it's finished. Please review. 

Chapter Four ~ Mutiny and Maps 

Avery sneaked down the deck, heading towards the captain's quarters he had about half an hour to get the captain off the ship. They had docked in some foreign port that Avery knew little about. But he had to persuade the captain to leave, if the two wanted to live through the night. 

"Captain? Captain." He said, knocking on the door. 

"Yes?"

Avery stepped into the cabin, to see the captain pouring over a map on his desk. 

"Can I have a word?"

"Not now Cotton, I'm busy. Surely the lads can sort your problem out." He said, not looking up. 

"It's about the 'lads', sir."

This caused the captain to look up. "Now if there is a problem I refuse to be drawn into it. I'm not taking sides."

"They've gone against you, they're planning mutiny!" Avery cried. 

"Mutiny is a filthy word." The captain snarled. "If you're lying I will cut out that forked tongue of yours. . ."

"Captain we have to leave now, get off this ship. The men will kill you." Avery persisted. 

The Captain shook his head with an rich laugh. "I trusted you, Avery. Deary me, save my life and then come to steal from me?" he said. 

Avery raised his eyebrows. 

As they were talking there came a pounding on the door. 

"Too late." Avery said, bitterly. He pulled out his sword, and stood facing the door.

A few seconds later the door shattered, and Gus and the others appeared in the doorway, with glowing torches, and a pistol in every other hand. 

"What is going on?" Captain Henry Myers demanded, as he stepped towards the door. 

Radigus stepped forward, he glared at Avery with a look of absolute hate. "Looks like we got ourselves a snitcher."

The others grinned, menacingly. The Captain stepped towards the bed to collect his cutlass. He never made it. Radigus's pistol was placed beside his ear. "Where is the map?" He snarled, showing off his yellowing, decaying teeth. 

The captain didn't utter a word, instead he just stopped dead, staring out across the room. Gus shook him angrily. "Tell me where the map is, or I'll blow your head off!" He said, pushing the gun fiercely next to his cheek. 

"You are going to kill me anyway." The captain retorted. 

"Search the room!" Gus shouted to his minions. "And someone take ahold o' him!" He ordered, brandishing his pistol in the direction of Avery. 

One of the men heading towards Avery, Avery stabbed through him with his sword. But he was soon overpowered, and couldn't fight against the vast numbers of Gus' crew. Radigus sniggered horribly, as the room was quickly torn apart.

"Nuffin, cap'n!" One of them cried.

He gave a screech of annoyance, and threw the captain down on the bed, aiming his pistol directly at his head. "Where is it?" 

The captain managed a smirk. "You can't kill me, Radigus, 'cause then you'll never find it." 

Avery groaned as the pirate holding him, kicked him in the shin, when he attempted to wriggle free. 

The captain couldn't help his eyes that went to the old chest, then withdrew swiftly. Radigus smirked as he bent down and began to rummage through the old chest. Nothing! 

"Argh!" He shouted angrily. He punched the captain, before progressing to tear up the room some more. 

"Maybe he has it on him." One of the pirates suggested. And so the captain was searched, but presented nothing. 

"WHERE IS IT?" He demanded for the last time, dragging the captain from the bed and throwing him against the wall. 

"It's in here." The captain grinned, tapping his forehead. The anger bubbled up inside of Radigus. All that searching for nothing, no map. And now they couldn't leave the captain alive it was too dangerous. He lifted his pistol and pulled the trigger. A shot right through the heart. Radigus kicked the dead body to ensure the captain had truly left this world, before turning to face his crew. 

"We'll just have to get there without the map." 

There was a murmur of annoyance throughout the men, but none dared to voice their doubts. It was hard enough getting there without the map, but now they had no idea where there were going. 

"Wha' bout him?" 

Radigus stepped up to Avery, they were so close their grubby faces were almost touching. "You know what happens to snitches?" He asked softly. 

Avery didn't reply, he struggled against the two men holding him. 

"We cut their filthy rotten tongues out." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pain seemed unreal, it gripped him in it's iron fastening, refusing poignantly to let go. Eventually, it got to much and he was knocked unconscious. When he awoke, he was still leaning against the old brick building, his mouth felt empty, and full of blood. He slowly wrought up the courage to touch. . .it. He stuck his fingers inside his mouth, but seconds later repelled them horrified. His mouth was empty. His rotting teeth stood alone, as though mourners at a funeral. The throbbing, aching pain shot up to his head, and he could barely see through his eyes. He didn't have the strength to get up, or so he thought. 

And then out of nowhere the parrot appeared, the Captain's parrot. It was a beautiful creature really, majestic and colourful. It landed gently on his shoulder. He absentmindedly stroked it's back with his blood stained hand. He tried to speak, but the words didn't come, they air was as empty as his mouth. 

The parrot squawked. "Wind in the sales. Wind in the sales."

Avery Cotton managed a small smile, faced with his shaky future, and the prospect of never being able to talk again, and yet the parrot's antics caused him to smile. It burrowed itself against his hand, chattering mindlessly all the phrases it knew. 

From that day on the parrot refused to leave him, it would perch by day on his shoulder, just as it had stood on the captain's. Cotton developed an odd relationship with it, the parrot could sense what he was thinking, and was able to provide a voice for his tongue-less master. 

No one knew quite what to call the parrot, and they could hardly ask Cotton. So he became known as Mr Cotton's Parrot. 

They say good comes out of every evil, and so it did. Avery Cotton was never in want of work, he hardly ever left the sea. He proved a loyal friend, and good sailor, a worthy member of any crew. Of course, his big break came when Gibbs snatched him up, and he was made second mate on The Black Pearl, the most feared pirate ship in the Spanish Main. It couldn't have been captained by a fairer man. 

So, Avery Cotton had started out young and arrogant, age had set him straight on a few matters. But the fact remained, by trying to be good, and doing the right thing he had lost his tongue, but because of the intense loyalty he had shown he was a welcome addition to any crew, and now he had a constant, feathered friend, always by his side. 

The Abyss went on to sink in it's pursuit of the legendary island of Nargery, it seemed they did need a map after all. 

Yes, good certainly does emerge from the ashes of evil.

__

A/N So what do you think? I haven't included any graphic images of him having his tongue cut out, after all it was bad enough watching Johnny Depp have his eyes gouged out in Once Upon a Time in Mexico! Anyway hope you have enjoyed this story, as I said before, it's not one of my best. Oh well, please reviews, thanks. 


End file.
